It’s never too early to start planning your garden, or to plan what you’ll can and preserve once the harvest comes in. One of the best things about having a garden is enjoying the fruit of your labor all year long.

When it comes to gardening, we’ve tried to grow our fair share of plants. Some have worked out wonderfully and some have failed. One of our favorites is the pickling cucumber.

This small and perfect cucumber is ideal for just what it’s namesake implies–pickles. And homemade pickles are the best pickles… any day of the week.

Preserving fruit and vegetables is always rewarding, whether its putting up homemade applesauce, apple butter, freezer pumpkin or even making fruit leather. It’s always a fun time with rewards that last for months.

What you’ll need to make Bread and Butter Pickles:

• 6-lbs of Pickling Cucumbers
• 3-lbs Onions, thinly sliced
• ½ cup Canning or Pickling Salt
• 4 cups White Vinegar (5% Acidity)
• 4 cups Sugar
• 2 Tablespoons Mustard Seed
• 1½ Tablespoons Celery Seed
• 1 Tablespoon Pickling Spice
• 1 teaspoon Turmeric

Wash and rinse the cucumbers.  Then slice the ends off of each cucumber and slice them into ¼  slices.

Slice the onions into thin rings and then add the cucumbers and onions into a large pot and stir gently by hand to mix.  Sprinkle salt over the mixture and then cover everything with ice.

Refrigerate this mixture for 3-4 hours, or overnight, adding more ice as needed during this time.

Drain the water from the cucumbers and onions.  Rinse well to remove salt and let them drain.

While the vegetables are draining add vinegar, sugar, mustard seed, celery seed, pickling spice, and turmeric to a large pot. Stir everything together and then bring to a boil over Medium-High heat and boil for 10 minutes.  Now add the cucumbers and onions to the pot, bring back to low boil and boil for 1 minute.

Gather your jars together making sure they are sterilized.  Remove the pickle mixture from heat and add to the jars making sure to leave ¼” head space in each jar.

Make sure there are no air bubbles. Wipe the top & rim of the jar with a clean, damp. Add the lid and band but don’t over-tighten the lid

Now add the jars to your canning pot and use the water bath process for 10 minutes and then carefully remove the jars.  Place the jars in a draft free location and don’t bother them for 24 hours. Can be stored for up to 1 year.

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Bread and Butter Pickles

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Ingredients

• 6-lbs of Pickling Cucumbers
• 3-lbs Onions, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup Canning or [easyazon_link identifier="B00GZCEZ4O" locale="US" tag="allshecooksblog-20"]Pickling Salt[/easyazon_link]
• 4 cups [easyazon_link identifier="B00C2DFCFG" locale="US" tag="allshecooksblog-20"]White Vinegar[/easyazon_link] (5% Acidity)
• 4 cups Sugar
• 2 Tablespoons [easyazon_link identifier="B01BDXXKYU" locale="US" tag="allshecooksblog-20"]Mustard Seed[/easyazon_link]
• 1½ Tablespoons [easyazon_link identifier="B00A5XCPC8" locale="US" tag="allshecooksblog-20"]Celery Seed[/easyazon_link]
• 1 Tablespoon [easyazon_link identifier="B003JMUROA" locale="US" tag="allshecooksblog-20"]Pickling Spice[/easyazon_link]
• 1 teaspoon Turmeric

Instructions

1. Wash and rinse the cucumbers. Then slice the ends off of each cucumber and slice them into ¼ slices.
2. Slice the onions into thin rings and then add the cucumbers and onions into a large pot and stir gently by hand to mix. Sprinkle salt over the mixture and then cover everything with ice.
3. Refrigerate this mixture for 3-4 hours, or overnight, adding more ice as needed during this time.
4. Drain the water from the cucumbers and onions. Rinse well to remove salt and let them drain.
5. While the vegetables are draining add vinegar, sugar, mustard seed, celery seed, pickling spice, and turmeric to a large pot. Stir everything together and then bring to a boil over Medium-High heat and boil for 10 minutes. Now add the cucumbers and onions to the pot, bring back to low boil and boil for 1 minute.
6. Gather your jars together making sure they are sterilized. Remove the pickle mixture from heat and add to the jars making sure to leave ¼” head space in each jar.
7. Make sure there are no air bubbles. Wipe the top & rim of the jar with a clean, damp. Add the lid and band but don’t over-tighten the lid
8. Now add the jars to your canning pot and use the water bath process for 10 minutes and then carefully remove the jars. Place the jars in a draft free location and don’t bother them for 24 hours. Can be stored for up to 1 year.